As a Hong Kong Work Visa Holder, If I Own Shares in a Company Here Will It Disqualify Me From Getting a Student Visa?

Hong Kong being the dynamic ‘all-things-to-all-people’ type of place it is, oftentimes, certain life circumstances here throw up immigration challenges that need to be considered carefully to ensure that you do not inadvertently run afoul of the law and end up doing things that are no commensurate with your formal conditions of stay.

This question presents a number of issues for consideration.

First Published May 30, 2013

QUESTION

I have been working in Hong Kong for the past five years under an employment visa and need today to apply for a student visa as I am no longer employed by my current sponsor-employer of record during my studies (full-time Masters Degree programme) starting in August 2013.

The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.